6 channel installation playback

[TomHoward]

Afternoon all

 

I am looking to help someone out with 6-channel audio playback for an art installation.

 

We have a Macbook and Logic that they are using, and I could lend them a Moto828 or similar for playback. However I'm a bit concerned about the value of kit that is being left out in the installation here. (It's outdoor as well so would need weatherproofing.)

 

Is there a quick, cheap and easy way of doing looping 6-channel playback? I could make a Windows PC box with SCS or similar and a cheaper card, but is there a straight hardware box I'm missing, or three cheap stereo boxes sync'd somehow?

 

Thanks for any suggestions in advance

[chriswebster]

Hi Tom, not sure if this helps but the Roland R-88 portable multichannel (up to 8 channels in and out) recorder which uses SD card has just been reduced in price to £1,499.00 + vat and gives you a fully portable, battery powered multi-channel playback solution.... worth checking out? Stocking Dealers include; Pink Noise, Solid State Sound, Decks.co.uk, ProAV.co.uk. Good luck.

[J Pearce]

A lot depends on how critical the sync is.

 

If sync is only casual then 3 cheap MP3 players could do it.

 

A cheap properly synced solution could be a DVD encoded with 5.1 audio as your 6 channels and then a cheap(ish) DVD player that has analogue outs.

[henny]

Raspberry pi playing muilty track WAv to cheep 5.1 usb sound card , should be able to do it for less than £50

[TomHoward]

I'm trying to establish how critical the sync is as I can't work out if it's multitrack audio (as in musical) or whether it's ambiences.

 

Otherwise the DVD encoding seems to be the budget option with 5.1 audio if I can work out how to author that.

 

Thanks for the Roland suggestion but the Motu and Macbook we already have are worth around £1,500 together already so that's kind of the figure we're trying to reduce from.

 

Raspberry pi playing muilty track WAv to cheep 5.1 usb sound card , should be able to do it for less than £50

I hadn't realised you could get 5.1 USB cards. I've been looking at 6ch Focusrite / Motu etc cards so that might bring the price down a bit. At the moment they're supplying their own laptop and I'm just lending them a soundcard but I'm wary of my Motu being left in a park for a week, so if I can get one of those cheap 6ch USB efforts working with Logic that might sort it.

[cedd]

If you're looking for a cheap multi channel USB sound card then I'm having great results with an ESI Gigaport HD+. You'll have to cope with phono outs, but for the price it's a cracking piece of kit.

 

I've done a lot recently with the mp3 player modules designed for home robotics projects. Have a look on the Sparkfun website for specs and details, or Cool Components for a UK seller.

[Owain]

There are specialist playback products for museums and galleries eg

https://www.gilderfluke.com/

http://www.stoplisten.com/product.htm

www.cfsound.com

with corresponding price-tags

 

 

 

 

Here's a BIY (build it yourself) version

http://www.hackvandedam.nl/blog/?p=151

 

 

Or you could just use a cheap audio playback chip, Something like Velleman MK174

http://www.quasarelectronics.co.uk/velleman/mk174-electronic-record-playback-kit.htm

[timsabre]

Or you could just use a cheap audio playback chip, Something like Velleman MK174

http://www.quasarele...layback-kit.htm

 

This uses the ISD chipcorder, sound quality is really awful.

 

I have designed a solution for exhibition/museum/artwork playback which is a small standalone PCB playing stereo wav or mp3 files off an SD card. Multiple units can be synced over RS485 or RS232 or by simple push buttons. It's fairly cheap. PM me if you want more information.